How to Drink a Glass of Wine

New Zealand has become one of the world's great wine-drinking and producing countries. After six years as a top wine writer, John Saker has blended a thousand impressions, delicious experiences and startled taste buds into an engrossing guide to the world's most loved - and debated - beverage. A glass of wine is the simplest of pleasures - elixir of love, soothing balm, forger of friendships and, according to novelist Ernest Hemingway, the greatest sensory enjoyment you can buy. Yet wine is also an enigma - the product of good fruit gone bad, an edgy mosaic of smells, tastes and even textures, and a huge international business with fierce rivalries. In this alluring book, leading New Zealand wine writer John Saker takes you on a personal voyage to the heart of the matter. Learn about wine's strange aromas, how the shape of a glass can change the taste, peculiar practices in wineries, glorious personalities, who decides if a wine is a winner, and secrets of the trade. How to Drink a Glass of Wine will enchant both the connoisseur and the quaffer who just wants to know more about the world's most beautiful and fascinating beverage.

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Reviews

'However much you know about wine, this book is a must' Terry Dunleavy, New Zealand Wine Grower 'This elegantly written, information-stuffed book will give hours of pleasure' Warwick Roger, North & South 'If you're going to read only one book about wine, make it this one' Simon Wilson, Cuisine 'Witty and bright, vigorous and exciting ... This book is worth every cent' Kate Fraser, The Press 'Saker writes about wine in a way that makes you long for whatever it is he's had' Margo White, Metro 'A delightful personal account of why drinking good wine matters ... a wonderful gift for the wine connoisseur' Homestyle

Author description

John Saker started his working life as a professional basketball player in France after attending universities in New Zealand and the US. In 1984 he took up a career in journalism. He started writing about wine in 1998 and is currently Cuisine magazine's New Zealand wine writer, and drinks columnist for Sunday magazine. He is the author of Pinot Noir: The New Zealand Story and Vinacular: A Wine Lover's A-Z, and a contributor to Griffith Review 43: Pacific Highways.